FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP—ICE agents detained a father in Somerset County municipality last week while he transported his two U.S. citizen children to school. Agents handcuffed the man and placed him in a separate vehicle, leaving his 13-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son unattended at the roadside. The agents instructed the minors to telephone their mother for transportation home.

Video footage captured by the son documents ICE personnel approaching the driver's side window. The father provided identification before agents removed him from the vehicle. Agents then secured him in handcuffs and transferred him to a secondary detention vehicle. The minors remained with the family automobile at the scene.

The children hold U.S. citizenship. Their father remained in immigration detention as of Friday. Family members now intend to self-deport to Mexico to reunite with him.

Documentation Questions

News 12 New Jersey reported the detention on March 14. The network contacted Department of Homeland Security officials, who stated they could not locate documentation of the arrest. The 15-year-old's video evidence contradicts DHS claims that no arrest record exists. This discrepancy raises questions regarding ICE documentation practices during roadside detentions. DHS did not respond to inquiries from multiple outlets.

Franklin Township comprises over 68,000 residents according to 2020 Census data. The municipality sits approximately between Somerville, Princeton, and New Brunswick.

The detention occurred prior to a March 8, 2026 peace vigil in Franklin Township, where participants specifically referenced the incident. Community members gathered at the township’s Municipal Building to protest immigration enforcement tactics.

ICE's directive on detained parents explicitly prohibits agents from leaving minors unsupervised following parental arrest. The policy mandates that agents ensure minor safety and contact appropriate caregivers before removing parents. The agents' instruction that minors call their mother, rather than confirming adult supervision, appears to contravene this directive.

Authorities have not released the father's identity. ICE has not specified the immigration violation prompting the detention, nor have they disclosed his detention location.

State Response

Governor Mikie Sherrill has not issued public comment on the incident. Her administration has clashed with federal immigration authorities over enforcement tactics in New Jersey. The state currently faces a federal lawsuit challenging Sherrill’s Executive Order 12, which restricts ICE use of state property.

The incident highlights continued tensions between New Jersey's sanctuary policies and federal immigration enforcement. ICE has not issued a press release regarding this specific enforcement action.

Sources

• News 12 New Jersey, "ICE agents detain father driving kids to school in Franklin Township, leave US citizen children unattended" (March 14, 2026)

• NJ.com, "ICE agents detain father driving kids to school in Franklin Township, leave US citizen children unattended" (March 14, 2026)

• Franklin Reporter, "Peace Vigil to be Held Sunday at the Municipal Building" (March 6, 2026)

• U.S. Census Bureau, "Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey" (2020)